THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION VAN DOREN APPROVED COLLECTION

In continuation of the brand’s 50th anniversary Vans capsule, the original action sports footwear and apparel brand launches the Van Doren Approved Collection, an assortment of footwear and apparel featuring heritage prints hand picked by Steve Van Doren, son of Vans founder Paul Van Doren. “I had the pleasure of creating this collection and recreating a vintage shot of me buried under the Van Doren Approved collection. Speaking to our heritage, this timeless image is inspired by a photo taken 20 years ago, which similarly brings back lots of great memories of the last 50 years of Vans. This collection honors some unique heritage prints, which date back to the ‘70s and ‘80s when this original photo was shot” recalls Van Doren. The Van Doren Approved assortment includes reissued styles with vintage graphics from the Vans archives.

The collection channels the spirit of Vans’ DIY-beginnings with pattern-clashing and color-contrasting footwear including old school tones and unconventional swatch blocking. Legendary Vans prints such as the iconic checkerboard, the skull pirate and the aloha leaf can be found on silhouettes such as the Sk8-Hi 38 Reissue, Era 95 Reissue, and Slip-On 98 Reissue – in addition to an updated flying Vans logo tee, classic patch trucker hat and the Old Skool backpack. Originally known as The Van Doren Rubber Company, Vans opened up shop in Southern California on March 16, 1966. First Vans stores offered customers the opportunity to customize and order their shoes on-site. As a result, these vulcanized sneakers elevated creative expression to new levels, a characteristic that lives on in the brand’s DNA to this day.